Rodney Howard-Browne, the evangelist known for helping introduce the world to “holy laughter,” recently announced plans to lead a massive prayer rally in Washington, D.C. during the month of July called “Celebrate America.” And he’s doing it with the help of two important leaders in the dominionist movement, also known as the New Apostolic Reformation–an overtly fascistic offshoot of the religious right that thinks it can bring about the Second Coming by taking over the world.
Howard-Browne is probably best known for his role in launching the “Toronto Blessing” in the mid-1990s, which was characterized by spontaneous laughing and roaring during services. However, he has also developed connections with the religious right. In 2012, he partnered with Focus on the Family to lead a prayer rally in conjunction with the Republican National Convention, which took place near his base in Tampa. From the looks of it, Celebrate America, which will be held at Constitution Hall from July 1-19 is along similar lines.
Watch the main promotional video here:
On the surface, typical religious right agitprop–claims that God has been “taken out of this nation,” as evidenced by Sandy Hook, Columbine and the Boston Marathon bombing. But it turns out that Howard-Browne is partnering with two prominent members of the dominionist movement, Jerry Boykin and Harry Jackson. Dominionists believe that Jesus can’t come back until Christians take over the “seven mountains” that influence our culture–government, arts and entertainment, media, education, family, religion, and business–and violently suppress anyone who dares to oppose them. It’s a movement that has attracted influence out of all proportion to its size in the Pentecostal/charismatic world. I experienced this first-hand; I was tricked into joining a dominionist-influenced campus ministry while I was a freshman at the University of North Carolina. For more information on this movement, check out Talk To Action’s excellent resource directory.
Boykin, for those who don’t remember, first came to prominence with a speech he gave while serving as a top Pentagon official in the George W. Bush administration. He claimed that Islamists hate this country because it’s Christian. Ever since then, he’s gone far and fast in the religious right, and is currently the executive vice president of the Family Research Council. Indeed, People for the American Way the FRC recently held a prayer meeting in support of Celebrate America. He is also a member of the board of directors of the Oak Initiative, an activist group founded by prominent dominionist pastor Rick Joyner. Among the Oak Initiative’s other board members are Cindy Jacobs, the woman who claimed that birds fell over dead when “don’t ask, don’t tell” was repealed, and Lance Wallnau, the main proponent of the “seven mountains” strategy.
Jackson is one of the more prominent black leaders in the religious right. He leads a megachurch on the Maryland side of the Washington area, and is one of the main leaders in the effort to derail same-sex marriage in the District. He has openly called for Christians to form a “fifth column” within society to roll back Christian influence in our country. It’s pretty telling that he’d echo a concept coined by Francisco Franco, whose ideology was just a few steps removed from fascism. Two months after Obama won a second term, Jackson appeared on TBN and declared that God would strike down any born-again Christian who had voted for Obama rather than Mitt Romney. He had some particularly harsh words for black born-agains, who claimed they were part of a pro-Obama “false church” that was going to be “taken out” and replaced with people who would carry forward the “seven mountains” strategy.
Howard-Browne, Boykin, and Jackson are already hyping this up. On yesterday’s edition of “The 700 Club,” they claimed that Celebrate America could be the flashpoint for a third “Great Awakening.” It may be the flashpoint for something, all right–yet more religious right lunacy.
Darrell Lucus is a radical-lefty Jesus-lover who has been blogging for change for a decade. Follow him on Twitter @DarrellLucus or connect with him on Facebook.
edited by tw
